Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[vishdafish]

Alright so options. Tell her all the things, tell her some of the things, ask her for information first. Consume the food, obviously don't consume the food, pretend to consume the food.

Paranoia: She's in on the coop. She only let us get this close to confirm what information we know and who we shared it with. After that, we're dead.

We've come this far and are in the center of her power. We haven't set up any safeguards nor failsafes.

I say we got out on a limb and fully commit to this. Sure, the tea and food could be poisoned, sure, she could be just waiting to kill us, but I say we dive right in.

First, we join in the Tea Ceremony. I'm rusty on all the implications of it, but bare minimum it represents that we trust and respect her. Whether or not that's a good idea is a question for after this next update.

We then provide the important information. A brief overview of our escape from the assassins which lead to the searching for the hermit and the sloppy assassins, including that the one we interrogated before he killed himself was named Okuda Ryosei and that he used the phrase "The grass cannot betray the sun." when asked about who sent him. From there we encountered the hermit whom allowed us to see a vision of the attack. In it we saw [relevant details] including the face of [Target] whom the vision heavily implicated to say the least. From there we came here as Nara is where [Target] is most likely to be or where we would be able to track him from.

Upon arriving in the city we sought to learn of the current state of politics. From what we've learned about Crane positionings and the potential implications with the increase in Nanban trade, it is entirely possible that elements of the Lion, Phoenix, and Crane clans staged the attack on [our family] to emplace the Crane as the Emperor's eye and ears in the Empire, from which the three would seek to encourage major changes to the way the Empire operates, potentially including a coop.

We currently lack definitive proof of any of what we've just said. All we have is our word, our wits, and our will. If our Daimyo wills it, we will continue to pursue this matter and seek to get to the truth and heart of the matter, and still its beating as necessary.
______

That's about it from what I can think of. Either we're in, we're dead, or we need to run REALLY fast. Our companions are about to get something of a rude awakening if they bother to pay attention to what we're talking about.

One mark in favor of our Daimyo being trust worthy (enough). We haven't been weapon checked. This either means that she trusts us and those we bring with us to that degree, or that she trusts in her guards to kill us before we can harm her. Good for us either way.

+1 to this plan.

[Pancaek]

Alright so options. Tell her all the things, tell her some of the things, ask her for information first. Consume the food, obviously don't consume the food, pretend to consume the food.

Paranoia: She's in on the coop. She only let us get this close to confirm what information we know and who we shared it with. After that, we're dead.

We've come this far and are in the center of her power. We haven't set up any safeguards nor failsafes.

I say we got out on a limb and fully commit to this. Sure, the tea and food could be poisoned, sure, she could be just waiting to kill us, but I say we dive right in.

First, we join in the Tea Ceremony. I'm rusty on all the implications of it, but bare minimum it represents that we trust and respect her. Whether or not that's a good idea is a question for after this next update.

We then provide the important information. A brief overview of our escape from the assassins which lead to the searching for the hermit and the sloppy assassins, including that the one we interrogated before he killed himself was named Okuda Ryosei and that he used the phrase "The grass cannot betray the sun." when asked about who sent him. From there we encountered the hermit whom allowed us to see a vision of the attack. In it we saw [relevant details] including the face of [Target] whom the vision heavily implicated to say the least. From there we came here as Nara is where [Target] is most likely to be or where we would be able to track him from.

Upon arriving in the city we sought to learn of the current state of politics. From what we've learned about Crane positionings and the potential implications with the increase in Nanban trade, it is entirely possible that elements of the Lion, Phoenix, and Crane clans staged the attack on [our family] to emplace the Crane as the Emperor's eye and ears in the Empire, from which the three would seek to encourage major changes to the way the Empire operates, potentially including a coop.

We currently lack definitive proof of any of what we've just said. All we have is our word, our wits, and our will. If our Daimyo wills it, we will continue to pursue this matter and seek to get to the truth and heart of the matter, and still its beating as necessary.
______

That's about it from what I can think of. Either we're in, we're dead, or we need to run REALLY fast. Our companions are about to get something of a rude awakening if they bother to pay attention to what we're talking about.

One mark in favor of our Daimyo being trust worthy (enough). We haven't been weapon checked. This either means that she trusts us and those we bring with us to that degree, or that she trusts in her guards to kill us before we can harm her. Good for us either way.

+1 to this plan.

Turn 22

Nara, palace tea room

Hideki decides that it would probably be best to leave any suspicions he has at the door and just fully commit to this entire thing. He sits down at the middle table and his two companions follow suit. He grips the teacup with one hand on the base and one hand on the side, and raises it gingerly to his lips as ceremony demands. Looking to his right, he sees Ed holding the cup in one hand and munching on a piece of mochi with his other. On his left, Otsu isn't partaking of anything, but is prodding the mochi with her finger. Hideki inwardly sighs at his companions' lack of social graces. He looks up at the daimyo just as she sets down her cup. She regards the three of them, and Hideki could almost swear he saw the corner of her lip curl up a bit upon regarding his companions. She claps her hands twice and a rice paper gently slides open. A maid shuffles in and places a ceramic bottle of sake on Otsu's table, which Otsu immediatly takes a large swig from. The maid leaves again and slides the door closed.

The daimyo motions for Hideki to speak, so he sets down his cup and begins recounting the tale. He tells of the day of the attack, his subsequent wanderings and the climb of mount Zao. He tells of the sloppy assassins, dropping the name of Okuda Ryosei and the strange phrase they said before their death. He tells of the hermit monk and of the vision he saw underneath the pool. He then tells of his travel to Nara, in search of Ogino Iemochi. He leaves out the details of the oni blacksmiths, because the whole tale is getting hard to believe as it is right now.

The courtesan of death sips her tea and places the cup on the black laquer table in front of her. Throughout Hideki's sotrytelling she hasn't shown any emotion on her face. But when she speaks, her tone is cold and almost seems to chill the air in the room.

"I see. Your story, while perhaps slightly outlandish or even like a bad adventure novel, rings true to my ears. Certainly more true than the utter bullshit the Crane clan have been feeding me."

Hideki can hear Ed choking on his mochi when the daimyo uses the strong and unladylike choice of words.

"As if mere bandits could wipe out one of our most decorated families in a single day. Moreover, any Scorpion clan member worth his salt would know better than to lie to me. It would seem Genji will get to use the special menu after all. The banquet will continue as planned, then. You may choose to attend, or to simply watch from a hidden position. Either way, when the time is right you will get your chance to ask your question of the Crane Clan commissioner. Who knows, he might even lead you to the traitor ninja."

What wil Hideki do?

Will he attend, or stay hidden?

Is there anything he will say to/ask of the daimyo before the banquet?

Other?

Spoiler: note (click to show/hide)

Remember to bold the actions if the action is only a part of your post. It makes it easier to seperate the action from the fluff.

Also, I'm getting afraid that we're slipping into a much too serious tone. I'm still planning to include supernatural elements and more light-hearted/humorous elements/characters at some points. Are less dark/serious moments okay with you guys, or do you think it might clash with the tone we've got going on?

[vishdafish]

((Im fine with light-hearted stuff and humour, it is a welcome break from killing and revenge. Is magic a rare thing in the world? Cause we havent come across any mages/wizards so far. Also would Hideki be able to learn magic, or is it a innate/bloodline talent?))

[Pancaek]

((Im fine with light-hearted stuff and humour, it is a welcome break from killing and revenge. Is magic a rare thing in the world? Cause we havent come across any mages/wizards so far. Also would Hideki be able to learn magic, or is it a innate/bloodline talent?))

((It's rare-ish, in the sense that non-magical people outnumber the magical people by a huge margin. The reason you haven't seen any is because most of them are concentrated with the dragon, phoenix and spider clan. Other clans have some, but they're the exception rather than the norm. Magic is about 75% bloodline, either by just human bloodline or having some youkai/supernatural blood sprinkled in there. The other 25% is artifacts and other ways of harnessing supernatural powers. So, it's not impossible for Hideki to get magical powers, but you'll need to do some esoteric shit to get it innately from the inside rather than using some outside source.))

[NRDL]

Funny moments are absolutely fine, especially if they're specifically contrasted with moments of SUPER-SERIOUSNESS.  Makes for a much more engaging story, imo.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

I'm perfectly fine with lighter hearted stuff. I'm specifically encouraging actually. Stories and Epics are best told when there is a mix of humors, both comedic and serious.

Apologies about the lack of bolding, that's a bad habit of mine.

+1 to eventually hunting down additional magical items (if our sword isn't magic I will be shocked)

Now for reactions to the update:

 
Mmmmmm, mochi
Presuming that dice rolls were involved, either we got incredibly lucky or approached this from exactly the correct direction for a favorable outcome to be likely. In any case, we probably have a very powerful ally now. Everything has become significantly more likely to work. Depending on how much our Daimyo is willing to throw behind us, we now likely have access to funds, quality equipment, supplies, transportation, and most importantly, information. We'll have a record of [Target]'s measured abilities, known contacts, favored areas of operation, and anything and everything we could need to track him down. Depending on how thorough the information is, we might even be able to bypass him altogether. We'd still track him down, but we'd then have a base of information to compare his answers to.

Now for actions.
First and foremost, we thank our Daimyo. Our tale is the stuff of bad adventure novels ((You have done a delightful job of writing all of this and I personally have enjoyed it greatly. Well done.)) but she has placed her trust in our word and allowed us to continue to pursue this matter. For that we are forever grateful.

If our Daimyo is willing to share, more details on the upcoming banquet preparations would be useful. Whether only select Crane personnel are going to be poisoned/non-lethally poisoned or all Crane personnel will be, would be useful to know.

Beyond that, if we had the opportunity to resupply, regear, and begin preparations for travel, it would be appreciated. We'll want to be ready to move the moment we're sure of where our next step to vengeance is. If she is willing to provide access to information about Ogino for us to review before the banquet, that would also be appreciated.

If our Daimyo has any questions for us, then we should answer them to our full knowledge.

In regards of the banquet, being hidden close by sounds like the safer option, on the slightest smallest chance of us being recognized before or after the event.

Anything I'm missing? Also getting together a list of equipment that we will want for future travel will probably make things a bit easier for Pancaek.

[vishdafish]

I'm perfectly fine with lighter hearted stuff. I'm specifically encouraging actually. Stories and Epics are best told when there is a mix of humors, both comedic and serious.

Apologies about the lack of bolding, that's a bad habit of mine.

+1 to eventually hunting down additional magical items (if our sword isn't magic I will be shocked)

Now for reactions to the update:

 
Mmmmmm, mochi
Presuming that dice rolls were involved, either we got incredibly lucky or approached this from exactly the correct direction for a favorable outcome to be likely. In any case, we probably have a very powerful ally now. Everything has become significantly more likely to work. Depending on how much our Daimyo is willing to throw behind us, we now likely have access to funds, quality equipment, supplies, transportation, and most importantly, information. We'll have a record of [Target]'s measured abilities, known contacts, favored areas of operation, and anything and everything we could need to track him down. Depending on how thorough the information is, we might even be able to bypass him altogether. We'd still track him down, but we'd then have a base of information to compare his answers to.

Now for actions.
First and foremost, we thank our Daimyo. Our tale is the stuff of bad adventure novels ((You have done a delightful job of writing all of this and I personally have enjoyed it greatly. Well done.)) but she has placed her trust in our word and allowed us to continue to pursue this matter. For that we are forever grateful.

If our Daimyo is willing to share, more details on the upcoming banquet preparations would be useful. Whether only select Crane personnel are going to be poisoned/non-lethally poisoned or all Crane personnel will be, would be useful to know.

Beyond that, if we had the opportunity to resupply, regear, and begin preparations for travel, it would be appreciated. We'll want to be ready to move the moment we're sure of where our next step to vengeance is. If she is willing to provide access to information about Ogino for us to review before the banquet, that would also be appreciated.

If our Daimyo has any questions for us, then we should answer them to our full knowledge.

In regards of the banquet, being hidden close by sounds like the safer option, on the slightest smallest chance of us being recognized before or after the event.

Anything I'm missing? Also getting together a list of equipment that we will want for future travel will probably make things a bit easier for Pancaek.

+1 to this. As for equipment, we will need supplies, 2 more horses (or Ed and Otsu can share 1?), shortbow for Ed, ranged weapon for Otsu (if she is skilled with one). Thats all I can think of. Will we get funds/gear from Daimyo? Cause im not sure we have enough money for all of that. Alternatively, we could do a few mercenary missions to get the cash.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

I would rank the likelihood of her funding us at something like 80%. It makes sense for her to help us out, but there may be factors that we aren't aware of that make direct support less possible.

grappling hook, rope, more throwing knives, non-throwing knives, supplies aka food and water, flint and steel/fire starter, a katana for when we don't want to use our demon blade

We could also get some more poisons, especially with Genji in the house. Some sleeping potions/poisons and more quick death poisons would be useful.

Light weight armor of places besides our chest would be useful as well.

If we're skilled enough in the use of the bow, getting one for ourselves would be useful. A blowgun with darts is something that we'll likely be skilled in. A better quality spear could be nice, but wouldn't be as useful from an ambushing position probably.

[vishdafish]

Yeah, a few more poisons would be good. Perhaps we can use them to coat our companions' weapons as well. A helmet would also be very helpful, as our head needs protecting. Perhaps we could have a metal helmet and leather for our limbs, to avoid encumbering them? A bow might be slightly bulky, considering a yumi is like massive. Does a blowgun have a longer range than throwing? If so, it would be worth getting. A spear would be pretty useful, especially on horseback.

[Pancaek]

Turn 23

Nara, palace tea room

"My lady, I must thank you for placing your trust in my word." Hideki says, bowing deeply.

The daimyo gives a wave with her black fan, motioning for him to rise again. He does so.

"You have served our clan since your birth, as have those of your bloodline before you. Trust is something which takes time, Nagayoshi-san, and you and yours have more than earned it. Think nothing of it."

"If you will permit my asking, what are your plans for the upcoming banquet?"

"My plans are quite simple, really. Genji will have put something in the commissioner's tea to make him more...forthcoming with his answers. If his answers are what I think they will be, none of the crane clan in this city will survive this night. We already have plans to set it up as if they had never arrived here and went missing in the mountains between here and Kyoto. The mountain paths can be so dangerous this time of year, wouldn't you agree?"

"Is there the possibility for us to resupply before the banquet? I am dreadfully underequipped for my quest, and my companions most certainly fair no better."

"Of course, you will have ample time to visit the palace armoury before the banquet. Whatever they cannot provide you there, they can surely procure in only a few days time."

Hideki turns to Otsu.

"I will most likely request a shortbow for Ed. Are you proficient with any ranged weaponry?"

"Not really, no. I mostly just like hitting things. Don't try to get me a new staff or something, I'm quite fine with the one I have, thank you very much."

Hideki turns back to his daimyo.

"Is there anything else you wish to know of me, my lady?"

"No, I believe I have heard enough. Any doubts will be laid to rest at the coming banquet. Know that if this means war between the clans that I will not be able to supply you with men yet. We must make our first moves in the shadows, or we will be crushed by the combined might of the Crane, Lion and Phoenix. I am afraid you will be on your own in the beginning, but if you are able to convince the other clans to join us, we will stand with you in formal war. All of our agents in the field will also assist you to the best of their abilities.

I do hope you will come back to us once you have finished your quest, Nagayoshi-san."

Hideki bows deeply again, and the daimyo gives a courteous nod of the head in return.

All right, get me a list of the stuff you want and we'll see what you can get. After we get the shopping out of the way we'll get to the banquet from a hidden position.

+1 to eventually hunting down additional magical items (if our sword isn't magic I will be shocked)

((It was forged in the heart of a mountain, by supernatural blacksmiths, and quenched in the blood of ancient oni. Yeah, it has some things going for it all right.))

[somemildmanneredidiot]

So I need to be asleep within the next hour so I won't be able to do a full list for about 12 hours. Hooray for generations of trust building up! I wasn't expecting more personnel support than the two companions we picked up (our student having her own responsibilities) and the possibility of agents already in the field providing help, but armies worth of personnel is delightful to think about. It's also good to know that our Daimyo is just as competent as her reputation suggests, if not more so.

The biggest question right now is the amount of supplies and equipment we think we'll need. There's four stages I can think of basically. 1What we carry on our backs and horses=> 2A supply horse/mule or two => 3we have a cart or carriage=> 4so our cover is that we're part of a trade caravan.

I'm thinking 2 or 3 (leaning towards 2) for a nice balance of contingency equipment/extra supplies and maneuverability.

Is it possible to get a topographical map and/or political map of our nation so we have an idea of the terrain we may end up traveling?

Who was the last Shogun and when did they die? Did we work for them, the current Shogun, or both?

Can we get a basic chart of the relationships between the Great Clans as we know them? I'm trying to draw probable battle lines in my head and have realized that I know very little about the politics of this world. Right now the best I have is Phoenix/Lion/Crane vs Scorpion/Mantis; MIGHT be in favor of Scorpion: Crab, Dragon; Wildcards: Spider, Wolf.

The Wolf will probably lean Crane due to current Shogun and the fact that we are likely going to be the first ones to strike, but depending on the evidence we're able to provide them, they might come our way. Crab and Dragon both have something against the Trio, so they might come our way if we can present a case to them. Spider is very new and their goals are currently unknown. Until more information is acquired, they could go anyway or already have chosen a side.

[vishdafish]

Ok, heres the list:
Shortbow
Arrows
Helmet
2 more horses
Food(that will last, without going bad)
Sleeping/knockout poison 3 vials
Quick death poison 3 vials
Rope
Grappling hook
5 more throwing knives
3 combat knives(or japanese equivalent)
Fire starter
Bottle of oil/flammable liquid

If anybody has more, feel free to add it on.

[Pancaek]

That's a lot of questions. Here goes.

The biggest question right now is the amount of supplies and equipment we think we'll need. There's four stages I can think of basically. 1What we carry on our backs and horses=> 2A supply horse/mule or two => 3we have a cart or carriage=> 4so our cover is that we're part of a trade caravan.

I'm thinking 2 or 3 (leaning towards 2) for a nice balance of contingency equipment/extra supplies and maneuverability.

Aim for an amount that can be carried in the saddlebags of three horses. Horses are expensive, so it's two extra horses for you companions or a mule to carry all of your stuff for now.

Is it possible to get a topographical map and/or political map of our nation so we have an idea of the terrain we may end up traveling?

For a topographical map you can just take one from Japan. Do note that I might change stuff around if I feel it's better for the story (or if I don't feel like bringing up a map every time you move somewhere), like the fact that Nara doesn't actually border water in real life, but I'm extending the territory a bit southward so that it does because I feel like it would be something the scorpion clan would want to have. Expect lots of mountains and forest, with some plains thrown in. As for political, there's the little map in the second post. Underneath that you've got each of the great clans with their base province next to them. You may assume that the base province is completely under their control, the provinces around that one are mostly under their control, and anything further than that they'll have a dubious hold on. Mantis clan has the entirety of Shikoku island. Dragon clan have a hold on half of Kyushu, with influence on the rest of it as well. Etc. If you want I could probably make a map with pretty colours by spending 1000 hours in paint. Let me know if that's something you all would think is handy.

Who was the last Shogun and when did they die? Did we work for them, the current Shogun, or both?

The previous Shogun was Crab clan, Fujimori Benjiro. A pragmatic man who thought that war and bloodshed gave little profit in the long run, but who wasn't as naive as to not be prepared for it. He mostly used diplomacy where available, an iron fist where not, and tended to rub politicians and nobles the wrong way due to his rough demeanor. He died of natural causes at the ripe old age of 67, after ruling for about 25 odd years. Hideki never worked for him, as he died when Hideki was still working for the Scorpion clan. It was only a few years after the the new Crane clan shogun got into power that Hideki started working as the Shogun's Shadow.

Can we get a basic chart of the relationships between the Great Clans as we know them? I'm trying to draw probable battle lines in my head and have realized that I know very little about the politics of this world. Right now the best I have is Phoenix/Lion/Crane vs Scorpion/Mantis; MIGHT be in favor of Scorpion: Crab, Dragon; Wildcards: Spider, Wolf.

Pretty much. The Phoenix/Lion/Crane form a big power bloc. They're against the Scorpion/Mantis for their blatant relations with the Nanban and the fact that these two "lesser" clans still hold high positions in the bakufu/imperial bureaucracy.

Individually, the Lions have a rivalry going with the Crab clan, because they feel like the Crabs don't follow honourable Bushido. They like the Phoenix and Cranes.
The Phoenixes dislike the Dragon because the Dragons use magics other than that of the heavenly Kami. They also dislike the Spiders because they are said to dabble with demons and dark magics. Friends with Lion/Crane.
The Mantis are on the Scorpion Clan's side, both due to shared itnerests and family relations. They poke fun at the Cranes for their uptightness, but there's no actual hostility yet.
The Crabs have a rivalry going with the Lions, because they feel like the Lions get so hung up on their codes that they don't make battle in an efficient way. They're wary of the Spiders across their coastal borders, but no hostilities have been had and diplomacy is under way.
The Cranes like the Lions and Phoenixes. They dislike the Mantis for their frivolous ways, the Scorpions because of their high position despite being a smaller clan and the Spiders because they simply are the new kids on the block.
The Spiders don't really have a big problem with anyone, mostly because they stick to their home turf of Hokkaido and rarely leave it. They're partial to the Crabs because the Crabs do trade with them and show them some respect even though they are small.
 
In terms of size/power:
Lions have the biggest traditional army of professional soldiers.
Phoenixes have the largest amount of seers/priests who can use magic.
Cranes have a large army, but only part of it are professional soldiers. They have the most political pull and money. Rumours are that they're working on their own shinobi school.
Crabs have the second largest army of professional soldiers, just behind the Lions. Their soldiers are less well equipped and trained, but don't follow the honour code of the Lions which makes them less predictable.
Dragons have the second highest amount of magic users, lagging behind the Phoenixes. Their use more types of magic, however.
Mantis have pretty strong sway in politics, but nothing near the Crane clan's sway. They are not to underestimated however. They are also the best traders out of all of the clans, and their relations with the Nanban might shift power around quite a bit.
Scorpion, finally, don't have all that much of a regular army. They are the number 1 in stealth, infiltration and sabotage, however.

Finally, the Wolf clan is the top dog. Though they are small in actual numbers, they technically have the allegiance of every other clan, and all daimyo's answer to the emperor. To go against his word is to rebel against the Great Emperor of Jade and the Godess of the Sun themselves. In reality, they mostly keep out of things that happen outside of Kyoto. They aren't to be taken lightly though, because the emperor is said to be the strongest magic user in all of Nippon, and his retinue of Imperial Guard are the best warrior Nippon has to offer. Like the real emperor of ancient Japan, his power is technically absolute, but the day-to-day power lies completely with the Shogun.

I hope I'm making sense. You can always feel free to ask extra questions.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Crap. I had a post and I closed the window by mistake. Some quick jolting done because I have work soon.

Water, money, paralyze poison, map, compass, lockpicking kit, alcohol for Otsu, extra shot and powder for Ed, caltrops, these or these, a better quality spear, a katana for when we don't want to use our demon blade, blow gun and needles, these, and some nice hats. A change of clothes or two would be nice as well.

An example of a fire starter.

Expensive and unlikely: Spy Glass, concealable Teppo, extra mule.

Politics summed quickly:
Cool! Very useful! The fill tool and the map you have might make a political map easier to make! We need the Wolves to be neutral or on our side before we declare war. We need the Crabs on our side if we want to survive. Our intelligence should work well with Crab strategies and tactics. Crab also means that Spider should be neutral at worst. Dragon would be very nice to deal with Phoenix, not necessary to survive though.

What do we know about magic, what it is, how it works, and what it can do?

Are we able to get information on Ogino's recent activities, skills, known associates, where he operated primarily and in what fashion, etc before the banquet? If so, we should review it if we have time.

[Pancaek]

Crap. I had a post and I closed the window by mistake. Some quick jolting done because I have work soon.

Water, money, paralyze poison, map, compass, lockpicking kit, alcohol for Otsu, extra shot and powder for Ed, caltrops, these or these, a better quality spear, a katana for when we don't want to use our demon blade, blow gun and needles, these, and some nice hats. A change of clothes or two would be nice as well.

An example of a fire starter.

Expensive and unlikely: Spy Glass, concealable Teppo, extra mule.

Politics summed quickly:
Cool! Very useful! The fill tool and the map you have might make a political map easier to make! We need the Wolves to be neutral or on our side before we declare war. We need the Crabs on our side if we want to survive. Our intelligence should work well with Crab strategies and tactics. Crab also means that Spider should be neutral at worst. Dragon would be very nice to deal with Phoenix, not necessary to survive though.

What do we know about magic, what it is, how it works, and what it can do?

Are we able to get information on Ogino's recent activities, skills, known associates, where he operated primarily and in what fashion, etc before the banquet? If so, we should review it if we have time.

For the supplies, work something out between yourselves. I see both a helmet and a straw hat for example, which seems a bit redundant. A spyglass is a possibility, an extra mule isn't so long as you want two extra horses for Ed and Otsu, and a concealable teppo is a complete no-go. And try not to bring too many weapons lads, that's shit's gonna bog you down. You can only use one weapon at a time anyway (I guess two if you take a weapon in each hand, but you get the idea). A second katana seems awfully redundant for example, since Muramasa is basically the second best katana ever.

I'll try my hand at a political map one of these days. Maybe tomorrow, but no promises. Just, don't get too hung up on the whole clan warfare thing, I'm still trying to make this about Hideki and his quest. Not nation-wide political intrigue.

You know as much about magic as the average layman, which is to say not much at all. You know that some of it is innate and some of it comes from outside sources like demons/youkai/kami. You know that some of it can be cast by a simple gesture or words, while more intricate spells require esoteric rituals and such.

Ogino's recent activities are a mystery, since he's gone mostly off-grid. Skills are those of a Scorpion clan shinobi, though not as good as Hideki. He operated in Crane clan territory as a spy, deep cover as a tailor for Crane Clan officials.